Anthony Joh Tutor Interview

Q. Hi Anthony! Please tell us a little bit about yourself.: A. I am half Japanese and half Canadian, having grown up in both Japan and Canada. After I sold my business in Canada in 2007 I decided to travel around the world for a couple of years before landing in Japan last year. I am still new to Japan but I am enjoying it very much and plan to stay for a long time.
Q. You have lived many countries where are Canada, the U.S., Thailand, Germany and Japan! What is the main reason that you lived in such countries?: A. When I was a child my family lived in many different countries and since then I have always been interested in foreign cultures. I feel that living in different countries gives me a better experience and perspective on learning about different cultures.
Q. Do you have any interesting experiences you can share with us in those countries?: A. I have lots of interesting stories but far too many to share in this interview. I’m very grateful that I have been able to travel so much and have a rich library of travel memories.
Q. I know that you’re the host “Tokyo Podcast”. It’s a very interesting program where you can get a fresh perspective on life in Tokyo and Japanese culture. I highly recommend Cafetalk students to check it out. Could you please tell us a little bit about your Podcast and the motivations behind it?: A. I started Tokyo Podcast when I moved to Japan last year as a way to learning about Japanese culture. I was new to the country and I figured the best way to learn about Japan was to interview both foreigners and Japanese about their thoughts on living and working in Japan. I was very surprised that the most feedback I received about the show was from Japanese people who said that they used it for English conversation practise and this is what led me to sign up on Cafetalk.
Q. From listening to your Podcast I feel you’re great at building a good rapport with your guests. Do you have any advice for us on how to do a successful interview?: A. I have interviewed all sorts of people from Ambassadors, TV stars, authors, bloggers etc and my interview style with everyone is always the same. I treat it as if I was having a simple conversation with that person. I am genuinely interested in what my guest has to offer and I treat each interview as if it was just me and that person talking.
Q. You specialize in teaching Business English. What are the different points between Business English and daily conversation?: A. Ironically the English that most Japanese people speak is close to business English because it is so formal. My suggestion for Japanese students is to not worry about Business English but focus more on learning natural English conversation. Japanese students learn, “my name is…” and “my hobbies are…” but foreigners never speak like this because it sounds too stiff and formal, rather we would say “I’m Anthony and I’m into sports/travel/food etc.” Take the vocabulary you have now and learn how to use it like a native English speaker would.
Q. I want to ask about your lesson, “Job Interview & Resume Review.” You have a lot of experiences of conducting interviews as an employer. Even if it is in Japanese, job interview makes interviewers nervous. Could you give some advice for them?: A. First thing is to be prepared! Research as much as you can about the company and have questions ready. Have the mindset that you are in high demand and that you have 10 other jobs just like this one waiting for you. Even if you don’t this puts you in a much better mentality then being nervous because you are hoping that they give you a job.
Q. Finally, would you like to leave a message for our students?: A. Don’t make learning English such a big deal! All my students tell me that after coming to my lessons they forget that they are speaking English and instead are just having a normal conversation with another person. Find activities that you enjoy that just happen to be done in English. This way all the pressure of the “lesson” is removed and instead you can focus on having a good time and you also just happen to be speaking and listening to English.